Communication &

learning
Success for YOU in the new
global and diverse
workplace requires excellent
communication skills!
The Communication Process
Basic Model
The Communication Process
Basic Model

1.
1.
Sender
Sender
has
hasidea
idea
The Communication Process
Basic Model

1.
1.
Sender
Sender
has
hasidea
idea
The Communication Process
Basic Model

1.
1. 2.
2.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes
idea
ideain
in
message
message
The Communication Process
Basic Model

1.
1. 2.
2.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes
idea
ideain
in
message
message
The Communication Process
Basic Model

1.
1. 2.
2. 3.
3.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender Message
Message
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes travels
travels
idea
ideain
in over
over
message
message channel
channel
The Communication Process
Basic Model

1.
1. 2.
2. 3.
3.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender Message
Message
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes travels
travels
idea
ideain
in over
over
message
message channel
channel
The Communication Process
Basic Model

1.
1. 2.
2. 3.
3. 4.
4.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender Message
Message Receiver
Receiver
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes travels
travels decodes
decodes
idea
ideain
in over
over message
message
message
message channel
channel
The Communication Process
Basic Model

1.
1. 2.
2. 3.
3. 4.
4.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender Message
Message Receiver
Receiver
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes travels
travels decodes
decodes
idea
ideain
in over
over message
message
message
message channel
channel
The Communication Process
Basic Model
5.5.
Feedback
Feedbacktravels
travels
to
tosender
sender

1.
1. 2.
2. 3.
3. 4.
4.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender Message
Message Receiver
Receiver
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes travels
travels decodes
decodes
idea
ideain
in over
over message
message
message
message channel
channel
The Communication Process
Basic Model
5.5.
Feedback
Feedbacktravels
travels
to
tosender
sender

1.
1. 2.
2. 3.
3. 4.
4.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender Message
Message Receiver
Receiver
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes travels
travels decodes
decodes
idea
ideain
in over
over message
message
message
message channel
channel
The Communication Process
Basic Model
5.5.
Feedback
Feedbacktravels
travels
to
tosender
sender

1.
1. 2.
2. 3.
3. 4.
4.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender Message
Message Receiver
Receiver
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes travels
travels decodes
decodes
idea
ideain
in over
over message
message
message
message channel
channel
The Communication Process
Basic Model
5.5.
Feedback
Feedbacktravels
travels
to
tosender
sender

1.
1. 2.
2. 3.
3. 4.
4.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender Message
Message Receiver
Receiver
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes travels
travels decodes
decodes
idea
ideain
in over
over message
message
message
message channel
channel

6.6.
Possible
Possibleadditional
additional
feedback
feedbackto
toreceiver
receiver
The Communication Process
Basic Model
5.5.
Feedback
Feedbacktravels
travels
to
tosender
sender

1.
1. 2.
2. 3.
3. 4.
4.
Sender
Sender Sender
Sender Message
Message Receiver
Receiver
has
hasidea
idea encodes
encodes travels
travels decodes
decodes
idea
ideain
in over
over message
message
message
message channel
channel

6.6.
Possible
Possibleadditional
additional
feedback
feedbackto
toreceiver
receiver
The Communication Process
Expanded Model
• Two way communication

“ management is a two way

traffic, in which the sender
sends the message and the
receiver’s response comes
back to the sender.”
Organizational Communication
• Functions: internal and external
• Form: oral and written
• Form: channel selection dependent on
• Message content
• Need for immediate response
• Audience size and distance
• Audience reaction
• Need to show empathy, friendliness,
formality
• Flow:
• Formal: down, up, horizontal
• Informal: grapevine
 Communication Flowing
Through Formal Channels

Downward Horizontal Upward

Management directives Task coordination Employee feedback
Job plans, policies Information sharing Progress reports
Company goals Problem solving Reports of customer
Mission statements Conflict resolution interaction,
feedback
Suggestions for
improvement
Anonymous hotline
Forms of Communication Flowing
Through Formal Channels

Written Oral Electronic

Executive memos, letters Telephone E-mail
Annual report Face-to-face conversation Voicemail
Company newsletter Company meetings Instant Messaging
Bulletin board postings Team meetings Intranet
Orientation manual Videoconferencing
 Written Communication
• Letters
• Memos
• Email
• Reports/White Papers
• Web sites
• Promotional Materials
• Other written documents
 Oral Communication
• Meetings
• Conference calls
• Phone calls
• Presentations
• Video or audio recordings
• Other forms of oral communication
 Mixed Communication
• Web sites
• PowerPoint presentations (spoken
and written communication)
• Performance reviews
 Internal Communication
• Official structure
– Formal chain of command
– Up, down, across formal power lines
• The grapevine
– Informal networking
– Unofficial lines of power
 External Communication
• Formal contacts
– Marketing
– Public relations
• Informal contacts
– Employees
– Managers
MISCOMMUNICATION IN
PRODUCT EVOLVEMENT
As Marketing Requested It
As Sales Ordered It
As Engineering Designed It
 As Production
Manufactured It
As Maintenance Installed It
What the Customer
Wanted
 Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%
 Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%
received by vice-president 63%
 Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%
received by vice-president 63%
received by general supervisor 56%
 Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%
received by vice-president 63%
received by general supervisor 56%
received by plant manager 40%
 Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%
received by vice-president 63%
received by general supervisor 56%
received by plant manager 40%
received by team leader 30%
 Message Distortion
Downward Communication
Through Five Levels of Management

Message Amount of message

written by board of directors 100%
received by vice-president 63%
received by general supervisor 56%
received by plant manager 40%
received by team leader 30%
received by worker 20%
Communication Networks
a) b) c)
 Barriers in
Communication

• Semantic barriers
• Organizational barriers
• Personal barriers
• Semantic barriers

(a) Symbols with different meanings

(b)Badly expressed message
(c) Faulty translations
(d)Unclarified assumptions
(e) Specialist’s languages
• Organizational barriers

(a) Organizational policy

(b) Organizational rules and regulations
(c) Status relationship
(d) Complexity in organizational structure
(e) Organizational facility
• Personal barriers

(a)Barriers in superiors
(i) Attitude of superiors
(ii) Ignoring communication
(iii) Lack of time
(iv) Lack of awareness
(b) Barriers in subordinates

(i) Unwillingness to communicate

(ii) Lack of proper incentive
 A Classic Case of
Miscommunication
In Center Harbor, Maine, local legend recalls the
day when Walter Cronkite steered his boat into
port. The avid sailor was amused to see in the
distance a small crowd on shore waving their
arms to greet him. He could barely make out their
excited shouts: “Hello Walter, Hello Walter!”
 Conti…

As his boat came closer, the crowd grew larger,

still yelling. Pleased at the reception, Cronkite
tipped his white captain's hat, waved back, even
took a bow. But before reaching dockside,
Cronkite's boat abruptly jammed aground. The
crowd stood silent. The veteran news anchor
suddenly realized what they'd been shouting:
“Low water, low water!”
 Analysis of Flawed
Communication Process
 Analysis of Flawed
Communication Process

Sender
has
idea
Warn boater
 Analysis of Flawed
Communication Process

Sender Sender
has encodes
idea message
Warn boater “Low water!”
 Analysis of Flawed
Communication Process

Sender Sender Channel

has encodes carries
idea message message
Warn boater “Low water!” Message
distorted
 Analysis of Flawed
Communication Process

Sender Sender Channel Receiver

has encodes carries decodes
idea message message message
Warn boater “Low water!” Message “Hello
distorted Walter!”
 Barriers That Caused
Cronkite Miscommunication
• Frame of reference • Receiver accustomed to
acclaim and appreciative
crowds.

• Language skills • Maine accent makes

"water" and "Walter"
sound similar.

• Listening skills • Receiver more

accustomed to speaking
than to listening.
 Barriers That Caused
Cronkite Miscommunication
• Emotional interference • Ego prompted receiver to
believe crowd was
responding to his celebrity
status.

• Physical barriers • Noise from boat, distance

between senders and
receivers.

Which of these barriers could be

overcome through improved
communication skills ?
Overcoming Communication
Barriers
• Realize that communication is
imperfect.
• Adapt the message to the receiver.
• Improve your language and listening
skills.
• Question your preconceptions.
• Plan for feedback.
 Essentials of effective
communication system
• Clarity

• Adequacy

• Timing

• integrity
 Steps for making
communication effective
• Clarity in idea
• Purpose of communication
• Empathy in communication
• Two-way communication
• Appropriate communication
• Good communication
L E A R N I N G
• Learning –

“Any process through which

experience at one time can
alter an individual’s behavior
at a future time.”
 Learning Processes

• Behaviorism

• Classical conditioning

• Operant conditioning
 Behaviorism
• The attempt to understand
observable activity in terms
of observable stimuli and
observable responses
• John B. Watson (1913)
• B.F. Skinner (1938)
 What’s this about

LEARNING?

Classical
Conditioning
 Classical Conditioning
will
NEUTRAL STIMULUS elicit NO REACTION

will
UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS elicit a REFLEX ACTION

UNCONDITIONED STIMULUS
will
elicit a
REFLEX ACTION
NEUTRAL STIMULUS

will CONDITIONED
CONDITIONED
CONDITIONEDSTIMULUS
STIMULUS elicit a RESPONSE
 The Basic Concepts of
Learning Theory
• Classical conditioning
– elicits response as a result of associating
• unconditioned stimulus
• neutral stimulus

• Operant conditioning
– emitted response
– learning is a result of consequences
• rein forcers
• punishment
 Observational Learning

• Specific skills and general

behavioral styles

• Bandura’s cognitive theory

Summary of Rules
• When possible, eat what your
elders eat.

• When you eat a new food,

remember its taste and smell
THANK YOU